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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25577524">Common Ground</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eirene29/pseuds/Eirene29'>Eirene29</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Discord: HMS Harmony, Drabble, F/M, Fluff, Harmony - Freeform</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 03:21:56</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>585</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25577524</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eirene29/pseuds/Eirene29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>What if Harry had followed Hermione after she overheard Ron's insult and ran away crying in first year?</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Inspired by HMS - Harmony Two Hundred Word Drabble prompt on Discord</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Hermione Granger/Harry Potter</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>140</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>HMS Harmony Discord Drabbles</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Common Ground</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This little thing was inspired by a prompt found on the H.M.S Harmony Discord, it's my take written in about thirty minutes so it's not beta-ed. </p>
<p>Please do leave comments if you can spot any mistakes.</p>
<p>Hope you like it!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Harry wasn’t sure what he was going to say. He didn’t have any experience with crying girls — or crying people in general. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Dudley’s crocodile tears didn’t count. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Despite his insecurity, Harry hadn’t hesitated when he’d seen Hermione Granger ran past them in the yard. He knew by her fast-paced walking and the sniggers of the other first years that she had heard what Ron had said about her. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“What are doing, Harry?” Ron had shouted when he’d spontaneously followed Hermione. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Harry had no idea </span>
  <em>
    <span>what he was doing. </span>
  </em>
  <span>He was asking himself the same question the whole time he was trying to catch up with the crying girl. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Shouldn’t he be happy he wasn’t the target of mean comments and bullies this time? He had friends! Why did he care about another classmate? </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>But what kind of person would be happy someone else was being outcasted. Harry couldn’t deny it would have been easier to just keep walking with Ron. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>However, what he’d felt at Ron’s mean words was not a feeling of relief. Harry had never said a mean word at a classmate before, so he hadn’t felt any particular feeling of familiarity or satisfaction.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>On the other hand, he was very familiar with Hermione’s reaction, that was something he could relate to. He knew exactly what Hermione must be feeling.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Harry saw Hermione disappear behind a door on the left, but when he reached it he stopped in his track.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The girl’s lavatory. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Well, he was here. He would look stupid if he backed out and returned to Ron now. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Before pushing the door open, he checked no one was looking and he slipped inside hesitantly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Thankfully, Hermione wasn’t inside a cubicle yet. She was standing at the end of the room, hands rubbing at her eyes. She suddenly turned to him with a gasp, her eyes red and watery.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“What d-do you want?” she said taking a step back and lowering her head to hide her wet cheeks. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Harry gulped uncomfortably, “Nothing,” lamely came out of his dry mouth. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Hermione frowned at him like she was trying to figure out a math problem.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yo-you were with Ronald b-before,” she said, her voice trembling but with clear determination, “are you here to make fun of me?”. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Harry thought she was way braver than he ever was at his old school. If he was in her shoes, he would have tried to escape.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m here because I was bullied at primary school,” he blurted out without thinking. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Nice, Potter. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Harry grimaced at his idiocy. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh,” the girl’s eyes opened wider before adding a feeble, “me too.” Hermione was smiling timidly at him with no pity in her eyes. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Harry felt he had mended a bit of the damage Ron’s words had done. He was more than certain he was doing the right thing.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Do you want to get out? I don’t think I should be in here,” Harry said remembering his surroundings.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh! Right!” Hermione had blushed a little when Harry mentioned they were standing in the middle of the girl’s lavatory. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Do you want to sit with me in Transfiguration?” Harry asked while exiting the bathroom. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Hermione looked at him with her mouth slightly open like he had said something shocking.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Do you mean, </span>
  <em>
    <span>as friends</span>
  </em>
  <span>?” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Of course!” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Harry stuck out his hand and offered her a smile, “Friends?” Hermione took Harry’s hand after a few seconds of hesitation and shook his hand enthusiastically.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Friends!” she declared her eyes lighting up with stars.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
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